Inspections of forestry operations on public land have dropped to one third of the number carried out three years ago, meaning government has little idea whether companies are complying with environmental laws, the Forest Practices Board says.
“The board is concerned that, with the steep drop in inspections, licensees’ activities may not be inspected enough, particularly harvesting and road activities that pose a high risk of harm to resource values,” said the board, which acts as B.C.’s independent forestry watchdog.
“Inspections hold licensees accountable and help maintain high standards on the ground. If licensees’ activities are not inspected, the public’s confidence in the effectiveness of government’s oversight may be diminished,” the report says.
Al Gorley, FPB chairman, said the number of inspections has been dropping since the 1990s but plummeted after resource ministries were combined in 2010. That means fewer natural resource officers are inspecting a much greater number and a variety of types of activities, ranging from dams to littering, the report says.
The situation could get worse over the next year, it predicted. “More public complaints of non-forestry activities are expected, and officers will be focusing more on non-forestry activities as risks are identified and officers’ knowledge of these activities improves.”
In the latest budget, the government cut $40 million from the Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Ministry.
Gorley said government needs to show it is carrying out enough inspections to adequately monitor compliance with legislation. “The good news is that a number of the forest companies have third-party certification, so there are external auditors that check their performance,” he said.
The board is recommending improvements to how government records industry compliance.
The report is an indictment of how government is looking after public land, said NDP forests critic Norm Macdonald, who accused the government of deliberately turning a blind eye to what is going on in B.C.’s forests.
“They choose not to know and they choose to get rid of people who are working in the public interest and, in the end, we really don’t know what is going on,” he said.
“The consequences for the land and the people of B.C. are significant. It’s our most valuable asset, and on every front we see government turning away from its responsibility to be stewards of the land.”
When changes were made to the ministry, the Liberal government promised increased enforcement, but instead, the number of forestry inspections has nose-dived from 33,000 in the 1990s to 5,000 last year, Macdonald said.
“There’s no question we have to do a better job looking after the land,” he said.
“It’s like not bothering to reshingle your roof. Sure it costs money, but it’s the smart decision to do it.”
Forests Minister Steve Thomson could not be contacted Tuesday.
